Bitten by You : Pan and Trunks: Leaving You
by Moon Star1
Summary: P/T... It's been five years since they've been together and Pan knows that this relationship is going nowhere. Now, all she has to do is tell him that she's leaving on a job offer to New York. What will Trunks do? -- One Shot


Moon Star  
  
This is a Trunks and Pan fan fiction. Don't like it, don't read it.   
  
Disclaimer : I don't own any of the characters in this story.   
  
  
  
  
Bitten by You   
Pan and Trunks : Leaving You   
  
"Well Trunks," a boisterous man clapped on his shoulder. "A job well done." His booming smile the testimony of his heart felt declaration.   
  
"Thank you sir," Trunks answered to his new business associate.   
  
"And you young lady," he directed himself toward Pan. "You are just the thing that this young man needs."   
  
Pan blushed at the man as Trunks mirth was dancing in his eyes. "Both of you make a great team."   
  
"Thank you Mr. Maxwell," Pan said sincerely at his comment.   
  
"Well," Maxwell looked at his watch. "It's time for me to excuse myself from both your companies. I'll be having an early start tomorrow and I like to be in my best shape for that." Shaking hands with Trunks and leaving a kiss on the cheek of Pan, he took his suitcase and parted.   
  
"Didn't I tell you we'd pull it off?" Trunks whispered to Pan as he set his arms around her from behind.   
  
"Yes you did," she conceded to his comment. "You were right, but this was a really enormous project for Capsule Corps for me to blow."   
  
"You would have never done that," Trunks smiled at her bliss expression.   
  
"Thanks for the compliment Trunks," Pan said as she moved from his embrace and moved to the food laid out on a table as a buffet. Most of it was still there, as she had been too preoccupied to even take a bite of it. "Now that this is over, I can eat."   
  
"I swear I could see you trembling when he was looking over the papers that you had set up," Trunks smiled at her.   
  
"I don't know what came over me but," Pan scooped a pastry from the table. "I was just frozen in place."   
  
"It's natural," Trunks stepped beside her and reached for a pastry from behind her. "They're good." He said with approval.   
  
"I can see why Mr. Maxwell ate so much of them," both of them reached for the last on the plate. Both their eyes met with war in their eyes.   
  
Their unspoken challenge just said one thing. Mine.   
  
***   
  
A trapped Bra tried to shrug herself away from her prison. His name was Goten and he had her trapped with his body and the couch. She wondered how the hell she had gotten in that position.   
  
Shaking her head from any thoughts, she turned to the matter at hand. He was not budging, his arms were as steel around her waist as they had been when she had tried to get out of his embrace 20 minutes ago.   
  
"Stop moving," he muttered, half asleep and half awake. His eyes fluttered open slowly, the sun that came from the open windows blinding his vision for some seconds until it adjusted.   
  
"You're crushing me against the couch Goten," Bra answered to his muttering command. "I might stop moving if you get me out of here so that I can breath a little."   
  
"No." Goten uttered before closing his eyes again. He moved closer to her, pressing her more still to the side of the couch.   
  
"What do you mean no?" She shouted, earning a wince from Goten.   
  
"I like having you were you are right now," he nuzzled her uncovered neck with a brush of his nose. "This way I know you won't leave me alone in the couch."   
  
Bra smiled at his statement. He was doing it again. Charming her with his words. "I like being like this too Goten," she said to him. "But I need to get up from this couch and go to the bathroom."   
  
He groaned but his embrace faltered. "Thank you," she whispered to his lips as she moved away from her imprison to above him. Giving him a peck on them, she got up from her place and walked yawning to the bathroom.   
  
"I love you," he said to her as she disappeared from the room.   
  
"Uh-huh," she yawned as she moved to the bathroom and closed the door firmly behind her.   
  
Moving his muscles around a little bit, Goten got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. He might as well start to make some breakfast before she came out of the bathroom and he took his turn. She could finish making it.   
  
A ringing of the phone stopped him in the middle of opening the fridge and his hands reached the eggs. Setting them down on the counter, he set out to find the offending creature that shattered the peace of the place. Pricking up the sound with his sensitive ears, he moved to the old room of Bra of the place and found the cell phone going off on her dresser.   
  
"Hello," he greeted dully the person that called.   
  
"Goten?" Pan's voice greeted him. "What are you doing with Bra's cell phone?"   
  
"She's in the bathroom taking a shower," he informed her. "I answered the phone because it wasn't anywhere near her."   
  
"Okay," she simply backed off. It seemed that Bra and Goten had resolved their issues. "Can you ask Bra if she could come to my house to spar instead of me going to hers?"   
  
"Hold it," Goten's tone set the mood straight. "I don't think I'm going to let her out of my sight for a long time Pan."   
  
"Hold on lover boy," her laughter reached his ears. "You two might be okay right now but I had this deal with her before you came along."   
  
"But," he was about to whine.   
  
"No buts uncle," Pan laughed again. "I'll see you when I see you."   
  
The phone went out leaving Goten pouting in his place.   
  
"Who was it?" Bra's voice came from behind him. She was drying her hair with a towel.   
  
"Pan," he turned to her. "She said to go to her house to spar."   
  
"Alright," she turned out. "Thanks for the message."   
  
"But.."   
  
"What?" She turned back to him.   
  
"I thought that we should spend the day together," His face showed disappointment.   
  
"We'll see about that tomorrow." She smiled at him, motioning for him to come forward to her. "Now, let's go prepare some breakfast before you die of hunger on the spot."   
  
That brought a smile on Goten's face. "You are so good to me."   
  
"I know," she stopped on her spot thinking for some seconds. "I should stop doing that."   
  
"Hey!" His protest had her running to the kitchen with him on her heels. "Get back here."   
  
***   
  
Walking around was something that Pan never did just because. She detested to do it but still, since she got up, she only wanted to get ready and leave the house. She didn't know why, but she just wanted to do that.   
  
She had been walking for more than four hours. Only two ago was when she had called Bra to change their plans. She needed to think and being in Capsule Corps was not going to help her and she knew it.   
  
Damn it. She should have just gotten it over with yesterday after she and Trunks had gotten the deal through. She hated that. She knew the reprimand that would be coming from Bra when they would meet.   
  
She was a coward.   
  
Coward, coward, coward, coward. Not looking at where she was going, she tripped on a sticking root of a tree on the deserted sidewalk and went tumbling down. Before she hit though, she levitated.   
  
"I Should be watching to where I'm going." She said to herself as she went back to the sidewalk and continued to go on her 'walk'.   
  
This was the chance of a lifetime to her. Not because of money or anything, because she had plenty from her father and mother put in a trust for her to use but. Damn it, she wanted to tell him, but she just couldn't. Damn her stupidity. She had to tell him before it was too late to do so.   
  
A trip from her firm to the United States to work on their firm in New York. It was an offer that she hadn't been able to refuse, even though there was Trunks to think about.   
  
Still, she knew that this was going nowhere. It had been five years since they were together and longer still since they had known each other and well, nothing. Nothing serious. She knew Trunks long enough to know that if he hadn't said something before, he wasn't going to do anything else right now.   
  
Well, she had to speak one of these days. Her flight to New York was only a couple of days away. Couple of days gone being only three counting this one and it was well out in the afternoon for her.   
  
She loved him, she did. But she couldn't wait so long as to miss all the highlights in her carrier for the love of her life to say I love you, would you marry me because I want to spend the rest of my life with you by mi side because I can't live without you.   
  
"Oh well," she muttered to herself. "You have to sacrifice something."   
  
It might as well be the relationship of her life because it seemed to be going nowhere and she liked to go places right after she reached a part of that commitment that always required something more.   
  
Her relationship with Trunks had demanded seriousness long before, but it seemed that the purple haired saiyan would never know the sign. Well, her job commitment had come and it was going to reach it's time.   
  
The carrier had called for her to be able to go to New York to reach her capacity in another country, and Dende kill her, she was going to listen to it.   
  
Determined, she turned back and started on her way back to her house. It was only a short amount of time before Bra would come for the sparring session giving her more time to analyze all that would happen.   
  
She couldn't put it off any longer though. Two days was all she had left and just leaving without telling until the last minute would get her in too much trouble with him.   
  
She didn't want that. She wanted at least for them to leave on parting terms. Now, all she had to do is find the appropriate time today to get it over with. After all, that would be the only hard part in this. Nothing else that could happen would be this stressful.   
  
Determined with her thoughts, her steps and spirit lighted up to admire the beautiful day that had awakened for the world to witness.   
  
***   
  
Trunks groaned as he turned on his bed. The cuts and bruises from his recent spar with Goten had left him with many of those on his back.   
  
This would be the last time that he would let him sneak up from behind and lunch a Kamehameha wave at such close range. He didn't know what Goten could have been thinking of but it had just killed his back with the hit.   
  
Damn it, it had been too long since he had sparred with anyone. Now that the major project with the Maxwells of the United States, he had the time to leisure a little and recount the strength that he had lost of months of inactivity with Goten.   
  
There hadn't been much inactivity though, Trunks smirked at himself. He had on occasion fought with Pan as they worked on the deal, but only on the Martial Arts techniques, not much else. Well, except the bed part. Anyway, Trunks was at least satisfied that Goten's hadn't left the fight unscathed. As much lashes that Trunks had on his back, Goten had along his arms and his torso.   
  
It had been way too long since he had the satisfaction of beating someone up. He now understood his father a little too much. Way too much for comfort in that area, but that's how they said. The saiyan blood really did wake the warrior instinct come alive at any fight.   
  
Now, turning to the deal. With that out of the way, Trunks would be able to get the holiday that he had been craving for months. Bra had promised to look things over for him while he was away with mother which meant, blissful time alone and away from the company. Especially with a certain raven girl that always brightened his life.   
  
Remembering how they had spent so much time together and it seemed like forever. Only five years had passed but it would seem like an eternity of her laughs and of her teasing. He hadn't realized it for long but she was as part of her everyday life as it was to breathe and eat.   
  
Five years. He wondered what else he would need to do to make his life more perfect. A slithering groan was his answer. He needed to get these cuts healed, that's what. No cuts, no pain.   
  
Rolling from his side to his stomach, he set his back to be up and crossed his cheek to the pillow. Damn it. He hated this. He had to wait until it was at least an hour for the cream that Bulma had administered to both. It wasn't as if it had been the first time though.   
  
At least the cream had been made for such things as these and treat them. He wanted to see Pan right now. He wanted to have her right there so that she would treat him while he was in pain.   
  
A knock sounded on the door.   
  
"What?" Trunks bellowed to the visitor. He wasn't in a mood for anyone to come in.   
  
"Temper brother," Bra opened the door with a plate in her hands. "I brought you some fruits to eat, although I shouldn't be so condescending with you. After you almost killed Goten."   
  
"He almost killed my back sis," Trunks motioned for her to put the plate at the left side of the bed where he would be able to reach it.   
  
"You didn't used to be this touchy before." Bra settled the plate in it's place, popping one of the plum grapes in her mouth.   
  
"I haven't been abused this much for a long time. Sue me if I'm not allowed to issue pain on the person that almost left me crippled."   
  
"Oh well," Bra dismissed the subject. "Just tough it up and wait for the rest of what the hour as passed to pass and you'll be in tip-top shape."   
  
"I hope so," Bra noticed the whimpering tone in his voice. She raised an eyebrow as she questioned what he could possibly want for him to do that. Only one answer came to mind.   
  
"You want Pan to be here to tend for you on your hour of pain, don't you?" Bra smiled at the thought.   
  
"Is that a crime?"   
  
"No," Bra faltered a second. "Unless something is..."   
  
"What are you guys talking about?" Pan's head emerged through the cracked door.   
  
"You," Bra laughed as she walked to the door and Pan walked in. "He seems to want Nurse Pan to take care of him."   
  
"Oh," her cooed voice left nothing to the imagination. She was teasing him. "You poor baby."   
  
"That's right," Trunks said proudly from beside his spot on the bed. "I want my favorite nurse with me while I bellow and wince in pain. That's not a crime."   
  
"It is if the nurse is busy." Bra took the opportunity to leave. She had nursing of her own to do.   
  
"Are you busy?" Trunks asked, hopeful that she would say no.   
  
She hesitated for a moment to add a little suspense to the scene. "Not entirely."   
  
"Good," Trunks extended his hand, taking hers in and bringing her close to the bed. She knelt right beside his head and set her head at the base of the bed.   
  
"Did you know that we spend most of our time together just looking at each other's eyes?" Trunks told her as his hand traveled the contours or her face.   
  
"They're the doors to your soul." She answered to his statement.   
  
"I've never gazed or looked intently at someone else's eyes before Pan," it was supposed to be a revelation most to him than to her.   
  
"Neither have I," the answer seemed to satisfy him a lot as Trunks closed his eyes in his place and let the little anesthesia that the cream had to carry him to semi consciousness.   
  
Although not fully awake, he could feel her rummaging through the plate of fruits by her table which was set for him. Even as she moved a little away, she never really let go of his hand. She kept it in his, as if making a statement as to herself than to anyone else.   
  
He didn't know if it was drowsiness or sleep and something else combined that made him sense some fear and hesitation in her manner. Deleting it from his mind, Trunks turned into a blissful sleep which constituted in a lot of ways with the creature that was by his side.   
  
Deep in the night, Trunks fidgeted a moment as he felt a need to change his position in the bed. Sleeping down faced was not one of his favorite positions and he wasn't looking for something to really damage his back.   
  
Talking about his back, it didn't even nudge with pain as he moved his shoulder muscles. He guessed that the hour had passed and all of the marks were even gone. The wonder of science. He could never tell what he wouldn't be able to do without it.   
  
Turning on the mattress, a weight at his hand made him turn to the side. There was Pan, with her head set on the edge of the mattress just like she had been when he had fallen asleep. She hadn't moved, even for her own comfort which he could see would not be much with her position and the height of the bed.   
  
Erecting his upper body on the mattress, he reached out for her. "Pan," he called whispering her name. He caressed her cheek as to emphasize the calling. "Pan."   
  
A groan came from her as her eyes started to flutter open and her head to come out of the mattress. She looked at him part drowsy and yawning.   
  
"What is it?" She asked, a little of her attentive tone started to return to her.   
  
"You've been in that position for most of the night girl," he said the noun as if it was the best one in the world. "Come here." He pulled her upwards from the floor sitting, to lay on the bed with him.   
  
"Are your sufferings gone?" She asked, her yawns more present as she snuggled deep into his chest.   
  
"Yes," Trunks answered as he left a kiss on her temple, watching her eyes close again. In just some seconds, her breathing came even. She had fallen asleep as if a doll that had been overworked that wanted nothing more than to sleep.   
  
Observing her appearance and clothes, he knew that she hadn't even taken her shoes off of the bed. Thinking of her comfort for the next day, he went down and pulled the offending boots from her feet and opened the first button of her jeans. She would sleep better that way if he couldn't pull them off without it being necessary for her to awake.   
  
Settling down beside her, he took her in his arms and waited for her to snuggle up to his chest like she always did. Just seeing her there, with her head on his chest brought out a feeling of happiness.   
  
He would do anything to keep this feeling forever. To watch her, safe and happy in his arms was one of the most happy moments that he had experienced in his life. His protective embrace left nothing to be desired. He just wanted this for what was left of his life.   
  
***   
  
"I'm hating this with all the power there is in my being," Videl said to the blond woman in front of her. They were sitting at an outdoor cafe in the center street of the city.   
  
"You did know that you have to let her go sometime," Erasa tried to comfort her. "It's expected for them to leave their homes and make a life of their own."   
  
"But not half across the world," Videl sighted heavily. Nothing seemed to be going her way. There had been an abandonment from Gohan for some months now, but she could forget that with her daughter still there. Now, with her leaving, it meant more loneliness in her life than ever.   
  
"But, you told me that she and Trunks Briefs were serious," Erasa observed her friend. "Why would Pan leave the country if that was true."   
  
"In some way, it is. She and Trunks have been together for over five years but no talk of getting much serious than that has risen and I think she's given up hope of anything at all."   
  
"So, that would be a reason for her to leave."   
  
"Yes," Videl's eyes watered. "My little girl is leaving me and I don't blame her. It's an opportunity she would never pass up in her career. I wouldn't want her to."   
  
"Well, then just think of it that way." Erasa pointed out. "She'll be happy and you'll see her still."   
  
"It still won't be the same."   
  
A silence conquered the table. Both women rested in silence from the morning of walking through the cities and stopping at small shops for a farewell gift for Pan and catching up on all the times that they hadn't seen each other.   
  
A shadow from their left told them that there was someone approaching their table.   
  
"Hello Videl," Trunks saluted her and turned to Erasa saying the cordial hello's.   
  
"Hey Trunks," Videl managed a smiled for him. "I trust everything is going well at Capsule Corp."   
  
"As well as it always is," he looked around for a moment and turned back at them. "I was passing by when I saw you sitting here and I thought I should say hello."   
  
"It's very nice of you Trunks," Videl motioned for a sit but he refused.   
  
"I'm meeting an old action holder of the Corporation in just a block away," he explained. "Business as usual."   
  
"Well, good luck on things." Videl gave him a cordial kiss on his cheek as they said their good bye's.   
  
As he was turning out in between the other tables, Videl called him back. She had forgotten to ask him.   
  
"What is it?" He asked as he retreated toward them.   
  
"Are you attending the farewell party tomorrow at our house?"   
  
Both women could see that he had been caught by surprise. "Who are we saying farewell to?"   
  
"Pan," Videl seemed taken aback. "It's for her leaving to New York to work on the firm."   
  
"What?" Trunks seemed more out of it than before.   
  
"You didn't know?" Videl looked more surprised than him by his reaction. "I thought she had told you."   
  
"She's leaving for New York in just two days?"   
  
"Yes," Erasa looked at him strangely. "We thought you would have been the first to know of that."   
  
"Pan's never told me anything like that." Trunks recalled her distraught and overwhelmed expression this morning when she had slipped out of the room thinking that he was still asleep when she got up.   
  
"All her things are packed." Videl led him to the seat he had refused earlier. He completely fell on it without a doubt in his position.   
  
"Why wouldn't she have said anything like that to me?"   
  
Videl made the notion that she didn't know. "She was presented with the offer about two months ago and she accepted just a week ago. We've been getting everything ready for her to leave on schedule. It seemed that her response had come later than the deadline."   
  
"I still don't know why she would leave without telling me." Trunks buried his face in his hands in a distraught manner.   
  
"I'm sure she would have told you before," Videl gave a look to her friend.   
  
"I'll go for some water," Erasa stood up from her seat and went to the inside of the cafe. She was going to take her time knowing this was something in between them.   
  
"Why is she doing this?" Trunks asked himself out loud. It seemed as if a part of his world was crumbling down as he watches, impotent of anything to stop it. "How could she do this without telling me?"   
  
More questions came and went as part of the time passed. Videl simply sat there, hearing Trunks as he muttered things not really noticing that she herself was still there.   
  
"But," he finally directed his gaze to Videl. "Why wouldn't she tell me?"   
  
Videl saw the desperate gaze he held in. He was asking her the question that she had been discussing just a few moments before he arrived. How could she tell him that it might mostly all of it be his own fault? She wasn't that straightforward with the poor, suffering man. Well, maybe not too her.   
  
"Do you know why Videl?" Trunks took her expression and her silent stance and knew that she was holding something in.   
  
"It's not really my place to say Trunks," Videl looked at him pleadingly. She didn't want to reveal any secrets that would get an argument between her and Pan. Hell, Pan hadn't even told him and she had opened her big mouth. But, why wouldn't have Pan said something to him when there had been so much time?   
  
"If you know something, then you should tell me." He wasn't ordering her for an answer. He was asking only. How much she desired to help him, but she couldn't do that.   
  
"Talk to her Trunks," was Videl's response. "If she didn't tell you before, it was because of a reason."   
  
"Where is she?" He asked determined.   
  
"She's at home, putting her last papers in order," Trunks stood up and put the chair back in. Videl's voice stopped him again. "Weren't you supposed to have a meeting just now?"   
  
Trunks swore. It had just flown out of his mind. That was now a second priority. He could send someone else for it. It didn't have to be necessarily him to do the update.   
  
Going to the street, he opened a capsule and got in the car that popped out. Opening his cell phone, he dialed his office number and waited for Catherine to answer.   
  
"Catherine," the secretary recognized his tone. "I need you to make the Scrutz appointment for me. I'm not coming back to the office."   
  
With the few words, he terminated the connection and disconnected his cell phone for any calls that might come through. Shifting the car in gear, he entered the traffic and within seconds he was out of sight.   
  
Videl shrank back in her seat as Erasa returned with a glass of water.   
  
"You took your time," Videl took an enormous sip of the water. She needed it for the bomb that was about to explode in her family.   
  
"He was in a lot of hurry," Erasa countered.   
  
"I don't want to know what's going to happen but I know it won't be pretty," Videl massaged her sore temple. "Life for me has suddenly turned for the worst."   
  
"Take charge," Erasa interrupted her aching massage. "Your daughter can take care of herself. You no longer need to take care of her and you know it. But you, you still have a marriage."   
  
"If," Videl interrupted her. "What I have in that house right now is called marriage."   
  
"Well, if you feel so strongly about it, then do something about it." Erasa exclaimed. "Don't just preoccupy your mind with mindless questions Vid, take charge."   
  
***   
  
Pan released a depressing sight as she entered the empty living room of Trunks house. He had one in which to spend days in tranquility away from the family.   
  
She had spent the whole half of the day looking for Trunks. She had waited too much time at Capsule Corps waiting and waiting. Catherine had warned her of his message but she still had waited hoping that he would return. Two hours later, after being bored stiff on his corporate chair, she had left to the house to see if Bra and Goten knew where the heck he was.   
  
On her way, she had seen Bra which had been coming from her house to a fast food restaurant to buy something to eat. She had said the Trunks hadn't been at home since the morning.   
  
Giving up on that arena, she had turned toward his sanctuary. If he wasn't anywhere else, he would be there. She had spent a whole hour walking to the place for exercise and what did she get? An empty house with no Trunks in it.   
  
She had wasted the whole day. There was now only one day left and damn it, she was getting tired of this Cat and Mouse game of today. Where the hell could Trunks be in the whole day? Taking a vacation in the Caribbean? It seemed unlikely.   
  
Shrugging her coat off, she placed it on one of the recliners of the living room and went to the kitchen. Well, she was going to wait here. She was sure that Bra would tell him that she had been looking for him and he would know that she would be waiting here.   
  
Groaning at the time in the clock by the wall, she set herself beside the counter of the kitchen and started to eat the cookies that were in a container out. Popping one in her mouth, she waited patiently. How much time will it be until she would tell him?   
  
She didn't know, but it wasn't going to be easy. All she asked now for, was courage. That was all that would save her now.   
  
***   
  
Pulling up into the driveway, Trunks let a string of curses to leave his mouth. It was late, really late. He should have thought of this place hours ago. Dang it.   
  
Settling the car in the driveway, he reached for the key to the door and pulled it open. Most of his angry thoughts had evaporated through the first hour spent searching for her.   
  
Damn it, he loved her too much to stay angry at her for long. "Pan," he called to see if she was here. He didn't pick up any responses. He gave up. She wasn't here either.   
  
He slammed the door and threw the keys toward the table at the center of the living room. He took his jacket off and placed it on the shoulder of one of the sofas.   
  
Closing his eyes, he let his body fall back on the recliner and accommodated his body to the feel. He was going to fall asleep and think about all this. Maybe tomorrow he would have a better idea for how to go about this.   
  
Getting comfortable on the recliner, he moved his body to the side noticing a prick at his back side. Sliding the menacing thing, he noticed that it was attached to something bigger bellow him.   
  
Groaning, he got up from his seat and glared at the article that was bothering. His eyes settled on it and he quickly recognized it as being the coat that Pan usually wore.   
  
His spirits soared. She was here. All he needed to do now was to see where she was.   
  
Taking the stairs, two at a time, he went to the bedrooms and searched each one with their personal bathrooms. She was nowhere on the second floor. Settling down again, he moved to the dining room which connected to the kitchen and found her there. She had her head settled at the counter, her eyes closed as she appeared to have been eating something.   
  
Unable to restrain it, his heart started to soar and beat without control. He would never be able to change that.   
  
"Trunks?" Pan's sleepy voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Her cloud filled eyes were centered on him. "I've been waiting for you."   
  
Not wanting to give away what he knew, he didn't say anything to arouse her suspicion. "I've been busy." Looking for you.   
  
"Well," she yawned as she threw her arms around his neck and planted a welcome kiss on his mouth. She pulled away and started to stretch her back from her stiff position. "I've been looking for you."   
  
"How come?" He opened the refrigerator door to hide his face which was sure to give him away.   
  
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you."   
  
The sound of her voice gave away the secret that she wanted to disclose to him. "What is it?" He reached for the ice cream at the top and took the lid off. Taking a spoon from the other utensils, he sat down at the counter and waiter for her to continue.   
  
Pan took her cue and sat right aside from him. He would be able to see her face to face if he wished. "I received a job offer to go to the firm in New York."  
  
"And," Trunks continued to eat his ice cream without any outer thoughts to what she could be saying.   
  
"I've accepted to go," Pan kept her gaze on his figure. She was never one to look down if there was a problem staring at her right there.   
  
A silence kept the room at a neutral ground. The only noise that followed the room for the minutes of silence that ensued were of Trunks taking spoonfuls of his ice cream.   
  
By his behavior, Pan didn't really know how to react. He hadn't even as much as moved. She didn't know what to think or expect.   
  
The minutes tickled by slowly.   
  
Trunks reached the bottom of the ice cream and simply stood up and threw it in the trash. He placed the spoon at the sink and rinsed it clean, taking his time. He placed it back with the other silverware and finally sat back down at his original seat facing Pan.   
  
His eyes connected with hers. No understanding, or reflection passed in between which had Pan fidgeting on her seat. Something was up.   
  
"Did you hear what I said?" She asked, knowing that he had but still wanted to ask.   
  
"Every word," he answered. "I was just thinking what was so hard about it that you couldn't have told me two months ago when you were offered the position."   
  
"How did you know that?" Pan had a sinking feeling in her stomach.   
  
"No matter," he dismissed it. "All I want to know is why did you wait until the last minute to tell me that."   
  
"I had to tell you sometime." She reveled.   
  
"Sooner might have been helpful," Trunks undid his cufflinks. He placed them at the small empty bowl that was placed as an ornament.   
  
"Well, I didn't know how to say that." Pan picked one of the cufflinks and started to move it around her fingers. She needed to do something and that did the requirement.   
  
"Straight forward just like that might have been what you were looking for."   
  
"You don't have to sound so sarcastic Trunks," she was hurt by his sarcasm. "You don't know how hard this is to me."   
  
"Then why in the hell did you say yes?" His temper was revealed.   
  
He saw that she wasn't going to answer that. That only made his temper worse.   
  
"Well, you know what? It doesn't matter now, does it?" His gaze turned cold as he straightened his figure.   
  
She agreed. "No, it does not."   
  
"Why would you tell me this now?"   
  
"Because now is when I finally got the courage to tell you." She answered in equal ground.   
  
"I could believe a lot of things, but not of you being scared." Her cheeks colored.   
  
Knowing that she had done what she had come to accomplish, Pan stood from her seated position and just gave him a nod.   
  
"Insults have never been you Trunks." She said curtly. "Good bye."   
  
Without a chance to reply, she took off the kitchen, took her coat from the living room and slammed close the door. Her energy flared up in a second and she took off.   
  
Still sitting down, Trunks took out all the contents of his pants pockets for something to do. Examining each object, he came to a box he had been carrying for two days. Fingering the fine surface, he opened it slowly, finding the lone pure diamond that stared back at him.   
  
He let his fingers brush over it. It looked like a rose. The diamond was surrounded by four smaller diamonds in a simple design that just held the pure gentleness of the jewel. Just like her.   
  
He had chosen it because of it's unique design and because of it's simple background. He knew that Pan didn't like things flashy. She avoided those, never wanting to attract attention to herself.   
  
The gold band always caught the light on the engraving on the inside. He had wanted it to be dedicated to her. Specially for her.   
  
Dende kill him.   
  
He was going to die without her. Why sleep? Why eat?   
  
Putting his head down on the counter. He fixed his gaze on the ring. The promise it held brought the first tear out. He let it fall. He would never be able to hide this from anyone else.   
  
The night slipped away as he stayed motionless, with his eyes fixed on the rounded promise that had been his future and hope.   
  
Now, it only held heartache and loneliness. It would never be touched by it's destiny.   
  
***   
  
"Love is on the way. On the wings of angels." Bra phrased the line of one of the songs she had been recently listening to. That's what was needed right now. An angel.   
  
Looking up from her place on the air she pleaded. "Send an angel before I have to kill someone today Dende. It's for your own benefit."   
  
Settling down on the earth, she made the rest of the way by walking. She was already there, all she needed was to walk up the driveway and find where he was.   
  
Damn it. She should have supervised the whole conversation. But no, she had to think that they were both mature enough to handle this.   
  
In reality, everyone has to have outside information when handling a relationship. That person will do it much better than the two people involved in it.   
  
Praying to not finding a dead body, Bra unlocked the door to the house and entered. At least all was in one piece. Although that might change.   
  
Going to the kitchen, she found Trunks in the same position that he had been the night before. Only now, he had his eyes closed. Sleep had caught up with him, it seems.   
  
Bra moved silently, knowing of his deep sleep. She had seen some trails of tears on his face, and she knew that he would be in the deep sleep for some time by the exhaustion but she wasn't going to risk anything at all. She wasn't stupid enough. Yet.   
  
Noticing an escaped tendril, she traced the outline of his face and moved the offending thing to where it could not bother him. Following his hand, she noticed the embodied box that stood open on the counter.   
  
The outside was embodied with figurines which seemed to be red roses in gold. The fine texture of the black background told her that the box alone had cost a fortune.   
  
Fixing her gaze inside, she gasped lightly as she noticed the piece of jewelry that was there. But, she sensed it was something more.   
  
Without giving herself away, she leaned in and took the ring from it's place. It's band glittered with the small rays of the sun that came through the far windows of the kitchen. The solid band reflected something in it.   
  
Coming closer to the light, she fingered the fine lettering and fixed her eyes to read it. She gasped at it's message. Her eyes shifted from the engagement ring toward her brother and stifled a cry of misery.   
  
She should have known better than that.   
  
His vacation. He was going to the Caribbean for two whole weeks with no interruptions. She now understood why he drew the facts as he had presented them to her. She was going to replace him for the time he would be going away.   
  
He had planned this for the past month and now, all his plans shattered by the sufferings of the intended.   
  
Bra wanted to kick. She wanted to cry. She wanted to laugh. All three at the same time. She could not believe this. She knew what was going to happen now.   
  
Trunks was not going to tell Pan of this precious love gift and Pan would leave with the thoughts she had maintained for the past year.   
  
Oh, no. She wasn't going to let that happen. She couldn't. To brush love and let it escape through your fingers because of expectations that were meet but not said was intolerable.   
  
She will not let them.   
  
***   
  
Trunks awakened to the quiet humming of his sister. Bra had busied herself around the kitchen while he continued to sleep. Cleaning around and pulling stuff out of the refrigerator to make something for him to eat.   
  
She had been thinking a lot about what to say or do when she talked to him. This wasn't going to be an easy thing. It never was and never will be.   
  
"Morning sleepy," she greeted him. Her smile reached him as she cleaned her hands on the apron and gave him a kiss of good morning.   
  
He muttered a reply that was drowned by the sound of the blender on. She could see that he wasn't in the mood for talking or anything for that matter. He was too much into his own self to make any moves toward anything like that. She just knew how he felt.   
  
"Go upstairs and get cleaned up," her tone brought him back to them. Without protesting, Trunks closed the open box and moved to oblige her wishes.   
  
Bra was surprised that he had listened, but then, in the state that he was in she could see that the world could walk all over him and he wouldn't have cared. Her heart ached for that. As much as they didn't talk or anything, she still cared for him as much as he cared for her.   
  
Taking everything done to the counter, she placed the plates in order and served the fresh juice she had just made a minute before. Trunks appeared some time later with a new batch of clothes on and his hair somewhat combed in his usual style.   
  
Bra led him to where he could sit himself and placed a plate in front of him. Knowing well that she herself had not eaten a thing this morning, she settled herself diagonally and took a plate of her own. She started to eat, watching him from the corner of her eyes to see what he would do.   
  
Trunks knew that Bra was not going to budge if he didn't at least take something into his mouth. Releasing a hopeless sight, he took the first bite into his mouth and machinelike ate all the content at his plate, which weren't much. Bra had only put in the essentially for him to eat, he thanked her for that.   
  
Bra got up from her position and took her plate and his toward the sink. She placed them there and went back to her original seat and waited there for him to do something.   
  
A faint musical background flickered to her. She had left her walkman on and the song it was playing was filtering through her ear phones. Reaching down, she placed her hand on one of the buttons to turn it off when it all came for all to hear. She had disconnected the connection to her earphones and the music was coming out of it like a radio.   
  
Let's talk about Love   
Let's talk about Us  
Let's talk about Life   
Let's talk about Trust  
  
Quickly, she placed her hand on the off button and quickly shut it off. Taking the initiative of the song, Bra started to get an idea in how to get Trunks to talk to her.   
  
"Brother," Trunks eyes turned to her. "Let's talk about Love."   
  
A groan emerged from him. "I've had as much about love as I can take sister."   
  
"I know."   
  
"Then don't ask." His silent comeback did get her quiet. If he didn't want to talk about that, then she was going to get him to talk about something else.   
  
"Well, then why don't you tell me a little about trust."   
  
Trunks rolled his eyes. His sister was here to annoy him. "I don't want to talk about anything."   
  
"Amuse me."   
  
"Trust is something that should not be broken." The statement was all that was needed.   
  
"Okay, close enough," Bra smiled at him. "Let me take it from there."   
  
Bra walked to the refrigerator again and took out a plate of fruits which she had cut just before he had woken up. She set it down before him and took a freshly cut piece of pineapple and set it in her mouth.   
  
"Okay," she made herself comfortable. "I had a little brush with Trust just some days ago and I agree with your statement. Trust should not be broken but when it is you can't close yourself to that only. My trust in Goten is broken and I have to say that even though I have forgiven him, that I will not trust him completely for some time to come and he knows it. Now, I know that it hurts and I can't say that I haven't learned a bit from Trust by the facts of life."   
  
"Your knowledge amuses me." He retorted. His tone was none of amusement.   
  
"Well, if you don't want to talk about trust, then tell me what you think of life."   
  
"It's hell."   
  
Bra laughed at his comment. "I know and I think that every being in this universe agrees with you. Life is full of disappointments and hurt that make it all seem like the world should be just destroyed so that all that suffering shouldn't happen. It's hell but heaven combined as well."   
  
Trunks still looked without amusement. She knew he wouldn't.   
  
"Now, tell me about your relationship with me. Let's talk about us."   
  
"You meddle with things and make no sense."   
  
"That's because you don't want to look at the sense you moron. We are brother and sister. You known me and I know you better than we actually think and that's what makes me the perfect person for you to discuss these matters with."   
  
"Are we done?"   
  
"No," she seemed to be laughing at him. "The final subject that I want to talk about it love."   
  
"I do not want you to talk to me Bra."   
  
"I'm still going to. I saw the ring."   
  
"So." His non-comical voice gave his view in that subject.   
  
"You know as much as I do that love is the gift we all aspire to reach in life. It's privilege is one of the best rewards of life that makes it all worthwhile. It is a highpoint of our time in this phase and I don't want you to throw it away just like Pan seems to be doing."   
  
"I don't want to talk about this." He repeated again. His tone revealed a force behind it.   
  
"You'll have to do it eventually and I prefer it to be now instead of later when you won't do anything when you realize your folly."   
  
"And what is my folly?" His comment annoyed her.   
  
"Your folly is to not trust the love you have for Pan to guide you." Her tone reached a high pitch as she wanted to scream those words to him.   
  
Trunks buried his head in his hands. He did not want to talk about this now. Not now. Well, if she was volunteering to talk to him, she might as well provide some answers to his questions.   
  
"If she trusted in her love for me then why is she leaving?"   
  
Bra had been expecting the question. "Because of the same reason that you've set yourself to act. She doesn't trust in your love and hers to be everything she will need in life."   
  
"How could she think that?"   
  
"One, because of your track record with women relationships." She numbered. "Second, because she doesn't trust in your relationship to last with her; and finally third," Bra reached for the box at the middle of the table and opened it to reveal the ring in all it's glory. "Because she hasn't seen this beautiful thing that says that you want to spend the rest of your life with her for better or for worse."   
  
"Why are you here?" His question held some desperation in his voice.   
  
"Because I want you and her to be happy. She's leaving the country to achieve the highlights of her career because she doesn't think you'll ever read the road signs of this relationship that says it's time to get more serious."   
  
"It's not that simple."   
  
"If talking to someone was simple then all of the wars and misunderstanding in this world would have never happened. Talking to another person is easy when it's not about something that will change your life."   
  
She placed her hand on top of his and enclosed it.   
  
"Don't let her run through your fingers just because it's not easy to talk to her."   
  
Trunks turned his hand around and enclosed it around hers.   
  
"How did you get to be such an expert in this subject." He asked in amusement.   
  
"By falling over the rocks and still getting up."   
  
"Still…"   
  
"Trunks," he turned to her again. "Easy things aren't worth it."   
  
***   
  
Everyone was there.   
  
Pan walked by as her friends and business associates passed her, congratulating her. She smiled at them and thanked them for their thoughtfulness.   
  
Gifts had been passed around earlier. As the person arrived, they had handed in some gift of good bye and she thanked them for taking the time to come and say good luck.   
  
Bra had arrived earlier than she had said because Goten had seemed to disappeared for some time during the day and she had been free. Pan was thankful for that.   
  
Well, it was almost time for everyone to leave, as it was well over midnight. Most of the guests were making signs of living so that meant that she had to stand by the door and say good bye to all of them.   
  
Few of her friends were going to go to the airport on the next day to see her get on the plane. And she understood, it being a work day for most of them.   
  
All for the better. She wouldn't want to be around too many of her closest friends so that emotions will get to her and she would start to cry.   
  
"Nice smile," Bra whispered as she settled herself beside her friend and said good bye to the guests as they passed through the door.   
  
"I trust all will go well," said the secretary of Pan's ex-boss. "I hope we'll see you again when you come to visit Pan."   
  
"You will," Pan hugged the woman. "Bye Auzenia."   
  
The woman waved back from the driveway as she got on her car and started to move away.   
  
"You handled that well," Bra said from beside her. "They'll all miss you."   
  
"I'll miss them too," Pan's voice quivered.   
  
"Well," Bra tried to cheer up the mood. "I'll start to clean up. You can go to the back and help Goten take out the garbage. He's complaining about the lack of help on taking them out."   
  
"Alright," Pan smiled and shook her head, knowing how complaining was one of Goten's best traits.   
  
She walked by the living room, seeing Videl straightening up some parts of the seats that had been moved. She passed the kitchen and went to the back door which led to the back patio which was always lit. She looked around for Goten but didn't find him there.   
  
She found a garbage bag right beside the door and sighting, she took it and started to make her way to a second one and continued on to go to the front of the house. She settled the bags with the rest of them and started to turn back when a hand stopped her.   
  
Her heart stopped. The touch had sent tiny shivers down her spine. It had to be him. "Trunks."   
  
"Pan," his name was uttered as a prayer. He turned her to him. Taking her in his arms, Trunks settled his lips on hers.   
  
Pan was lost as soon as his arms had come around her. Now, all she could do was settle her body against his as it seemed that she could not muster any force from any of her muscles to do anything else.   
  
"I love you," he said as soon as soon as they separated. "Please don't leave."   
  
"Trunks," her eyes were warmed with tears. She so wanted to just throw it all away but, she just couldn't.   
  
Without waiting for any reply, he fell to his knees and brought out the box which contained his and her future together. He opened it with stead fast fingers and took out the ring without a second thought.   
  
"Please marry me," he pleaded as he presented her with a ring on his hand.   
  
"I," Pan didn't know what to say. This was what she had wanted but.   
  
He felt her withdraw a little. He understood what she was thinking. Quickly, knowing that she would draw away completely from him before he would have a chance, Trunks threw his arms and locked them around her legs in a lock. She wouldn't be able to move if she wanted to.   
  
"I had everything prepared for us on my vacation Pan. I had the place, I had the ring, I had the dinner and all. I had everything worked up for this while in the middle of our vacation to the Caribbean. Please don't think that I did this as a last minute resort."   
  
"I still don't know what to think."   
  
"You can ask Goten. He's been helping me in the preparations from the beginning." He said desperately. "You forced my hand a little sooner than expected but, it doesn't matter. Just say yes."   
  
"But, yesterday," Pan searched for words confused.   
  
"We both said things that we didn't mean. Please say yes."   
  
"Well," she froze. "What in the world made you change your mind from yesterday?" She had a clue.   
  
"I had a heart to heart discussion with Bra." That confirmed all of her suspicions. So she had interfered. "But most of all was that I saw that if you left, I would never be able to get you back before it was too late. I don't want it to be too late Pan."   
  
"I don't think there will ever be a late time," she said lovingly. She went down to his height and sat beside him on the fresh grass. "But Trunks, I can't back out of this now."   
  
He saw her eyes flicker with regret. "At least I'll get something that I'll truly want, huh."   
  
"I know that you don't have a lot of faith or trust in our relationship." He saw she was about to protest but he silenced her. "You know I'm right about that."   
  
Her colored cheeks approved his statement. "But, I love you and you love me. That's enough for me."   
  
"It's not that simple Trunks." Pan released a depressed sight. "I've accepted the contract and I'm leaving tomorrow. Even if I say yes to this commitment, I'll still leave the country."   
  
"Do you love me?" He asked her out front.   
  
Her eyes blinded momentarily with a could of waters. "Of course I do."   
  
"Do you want to marry me?"   
  
"Yes," the simple monosyllable seemed to be all that he wanted as he embraced her in a powerful hug and slipped the engagement ring on her finger.   
  
"Then, that's enough for me." He traced her cheek line with his index finger.   
  
"I still…"   
  
He interrupted her. "I had a little talk with your boss today." The revelation had her without a comment in her. "It seems that Capsule Corporations needs a highly qualified lawyer to go over all of our states with all of our contracts."   
  
"But you already have all the personnel needed in that area."   
  
"Nope," his smile gave away that he had done something.   
  
"What did you do?" She sounded scared.   
  
"I've just contracted the best lawyer in Japan to represent us."   
  
Her eyes widened at his implications. "But what about the trip."   
  
"You didn't know," he feigned innocence. "The New York office has agreed to extend the guideline for the selected to get promoted."   
  
"I cannot believe you would do this," Pan was amused at his ingenious goings.   
  
"I would have done more than that for the person I love," Trunks settled a light kiss on her right cheek, lightly brushing her ear with his nose.   
  
"Still," Pan now took the time to examine the exquisite engagement ring that was settled on her finger. She fingered the five stones lightly, admiring the rose figure that they portrayed together.   
  
"Each one is for each year that we've been together," he whispered to her ear explaining. "It took me a whole month to find the right ring for your delicate, delicious, sensitive fingers." As he complemented each one, he placed a light kiss on each tip.   
  
Turning the ring around, she let the light get caught on the band. The reflective color took her breath away.   
  
"Read the inscription," he said from behind. Trunks had moved from his position to be right behind her.   
  
Taking her time, Pan slid the ring from her slender finger and looked inside for the inscription.   
  
She read it out loud. "You'll forever be my rose." She remembered that on the first week that they had started going together, Trunks had given her a white rose every time he saw her.   
  
Now, every time they were at a year anniversary, he remembered it by spending the whole week giving her a white rose per day and on the day of the anniversary he gave her twelve red roses and a single white. He had never forgotten.   
  
"I said that to you the first day I gave you the first rose," he said to her, bringing her close to his body. "Now," he took the ring on his hand with hers and slipped it on her finger again. "You'll have this permanent rose forever."   
  
"That's so romantic and thoughtful Trunks." Pan breathed in the fresh air that brushed through the clear night.   
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way with you Pan." Trunks nuzzled her neck as she shivered slightly at the temperature which seemed to be dropping. "I've been caught by the love bug since it bit me from the beginning Pan. I will never let you go."   
  
"I wouldn't want you to," she said smugly. She had what she had wanted the most. "You're all I'll ever need."   
  
"Don't ever leave me." He pleaded slowly. He didn't know what else to say but ask. He didn't want to think of what would happen if that would ever take place.   
  
"Don't worry Trunks," Pan settled herself on his arms. Her head settled on his chest. His steady heart beat drummed at her ears.   
  
"I don't know what I'd ever do if that were to happen." He prayed for it to never happen. His heart would never take it.   
  
"You will never have to worry Trunks. I would never be able to live without you in my life."   
  
"I love you." He brushed the tears that left her face. "I'll never cease to."   
  
She smiled as he settled his lips on hers. " And I'll never stop loving you."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Okay, I have a confession to make. I never thought that this would be so damn long. When I began writing this, I thought that it would never be longer than the Bra and Goten story.   
  
Well, we are all full of surprises.   
  
I wanted this out for Christmas, but I got it done a day late. So, merry belated Christmas and this is your gift. I really do hope you enjoyed it.   
  
The next couple of the series will be Chichi and Goku.   
  
Wait for it…   
  
Moon Star 


End file.
